Long-awaited work at notorious Pontefract Town End junction to get underway next year

Town End road junction in Pontefract.

Sam Cooper

Long-awaited work to replace traffic lights with two roundabouts at Pontefract’s notorious Town End junction is expected to get underway next year.

Wakefield Council first announced plans for the scheme - which is hoped will reduce congestion - in February 2011.

Town End, which did have two roundabouts before they were replaced by sets of traffic lights in a 1996 council scheme, was earmarked as a transport priority after it was found to have the worst traffic congestion levels in the Wakefield district.

Work on the £600,000 scheme was due to start in spring 2012 and be completed by last autumn.

Coun David Dagger, Wakefield Council’s cabinet member for transport and highways, told a full council meeting last Wednesday: “The last piece of the jigsaw is now in place. We had to acquire a piece of land and that’s now been done so we can go out to tender for the work, which will hopefully start in the new year.”

Neil Rodgers, the council’s service director for planning, transportation and highways, said work at Town End is expected to be completed by next summer, adding: “We are committed to improve Town End junction.”